


Teachers, Hyacinths, and English Bay

by ShadowGale96



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Forgotten Memories, Happy Ending, M/M, Reincarnation, another life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 03:01:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15899562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowGale96/pseuds/ShadowGale96
Summary: There is something missing from Erwin's life. He knows there is. There is something he's constantly searching for, but whatever it is... it's something he's completely forgotten.





	Teachers, Hyacinths, and English Bay

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE listen to the English cover of Kimi no Na wa's Nandemonaiya It's beautiful  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Y-McbVKgk
> 
> Everyday I wake up lying in my own bed,  
> I wish that I could wake up as someone else instead  
> Sometimes I feel like I've been dreaming while everyone else is awake  
> Sometimes the loneliness I feel is so much more than I can take
> 
> I know in a world where you're not around, I could probably make it through this life somehow  
> and I know that a world where you're not around would be like autumn without all the leaves falling down  
> I know that a world where you're not around is like a beautiful song with no sound  
> I don't want a world where you're not around
> 
> We are both time-fliers, you and I, running down the timer  
> Getting lost, in the times, I don’t know why I, I can’t remember  
> I don’t care if time hides you  
> I won’t give up til I find you  
> So if you, can hear my voice…

**April 2nd, 2:30 PM**

**Vancouver, Canada.**

The bell rang out chiming freedom, and was followed by the sound of chairs shifting and children packing up their bags.

Over the noise Erwin called out. “All right, class. Don’t forget your homework. It **is** due tomorrow.”

There was a murmur of ‘okays’ and ‘aws’ that peppered into the noise. Erwin folded his hands behind his back and walked back to his desk packing up his things. But he still waved as the children left.

“Bye, Mr. Smith!” A child said on the way out.

“Bye!”

“See you tomorrow, Mr. Smith!” another said.

“You too. You all have a safe trip home now.”

The class quickly emptied, and he logged out of his computer. _Another day._ He walked out of his room and shut off the lights with a click. The room went completely dark. A surreal feeling blanketed the barren room. Something that had been teeming with life moments ago… was now lacking. Empty, as it was now missing the thing that made it whole.

This wasn’t the first time such a feeling overtook him.

With a sigh, Erwin pulled the door close and locked it hoping to shake away this feeling in his chest. He made his way out to his car, waving goodbyes to his colleges as he did every day.

When he pulled his car door shut, he was left in an atmosphere of solitude. These metal walls and transparent glass separated him from the outside. The people walking around the school all wore bright smiles and happy expressions, and of course Erwin always returned them in kind, but there was an ambiance amongst the people that Erwin didn’t quite share. It was content. Content that everything was as it should be and everyone was exactly where they were always meant to be.

While Erwin knew he was where he belonged…. It felt as if something unseeable was just out of reach… waiting for him.

Blue water shined as he passed over bridges. A dazzling blue sky shined overhead and clean white clouds drifted softy by. As always, it was a spectacular view, but Erwin sighed. There was a sense of melancholy he couldn’t explain. It caused Erwin to run a tired hand into his smooth blonde hair.

His days came easy. His job rewarding and it was right where he wanted to be. But even so, there was something he was living without. Something distinctly absent but he couldn’t recall what.

Most mornings he woke up to a strange feeling of longing. Whatever the reason, it eluded him, fading from his mind as his dreams receded, vanishing into nothing. He tried to hold onto them, but it was like trying to grasp mist in the air. There was no containing it. In these silent moments, Erwin searched himself wondering what it was he had lost.

It was important. Something he never wanted to forget.

What was it?

Was it something?... Or Someone?

For a time, he’d tried the dating scene thinking that might mend this ache inside him. But nothing stuck. Or more accurately, nothing felt right. Maybe he was just choosy? He wasn’t sure. Either way, it didn’t yield the results he’d been hoping for.

Erwin passed off the bridge and traveled down an old street lined with white stone and shops. This area had recently seen a revival. Old shops that had sat vacant were now teeming with life and wearing a fresh coat of paint. It left a bittersweet warmth in Erwin’s chest, as the old was replaced with new. But it would be a good change.

Erwin pulled up to red light and waited tapping his fingers against the wheel as he did. He glanced around the road absentmindedly when something caught his eye. There was a solid sudden beat of his heart. Erwin’s eyes widened. It was by chance he caught it. It was a purple-blue bulbbing flower. It was long like a stalk, and its petals glimmered in the sunlight. They shifted. Drawing Erwin’s attention to the shadowed silhouette of someone masked by the glare of sunlight on glass.

Something came alive inside him. His breathing hitched, and he looked at the flowers and the figure like they didn’t make any sense.

A car honked behind him, and he startled. The light had changed. He scrambled with the wheel for a moment, fighting as his eyes were being drawn back to that window against his will. It was magnetic, an invisible force compelling him to look.

Erwin gripped the wheel tight and his palms began to sweat. He drove up a couple of blocks considering just heading on home. He didn’t have any real reason to stop, but at the same time he didn’t really have a reason not to. His day was over. He had nowhere to go and no one waiting for him. It felt almost childish to walk in because of a feeling. But the more he reasoned with himself to leave the more unsatable the feeling became.

Giving in to this strange sensation overtaking him, he turned around and searched for a decent place to park. His heart picked up as he hustled down the sidewalk back to the store. He could have walked. He doesn’t know why his brisk walk turns into a run. It just does. There’s a feeling welling inside him that something is waiting for him in that store. Something important. Something precious.

When Erwin reaches the door, he places his hand on the warm metal handle. It’s hot against his palm. The pain gives him a moment to wonder what he’s even looking for. What’ll he do once inside? He doesn’t know. But he doesn’t have anything to loose. Worst case scenario, he might look a bit foolish. A reasonable risk, really.

He takes a breath, and he steps inside. The door jingles as he did. It was a small store, bright and full of plants. Like a jungle with clean white walls. It looked impossibly spotless for a flower shop. There was a small loudspeaker playing classical piano filling the store’s silence. This room almost didn’t feel real.

Everything felt still but so utterly alive at the same time.

Seconds later, a man pushed back a curtain and stepped out of the back room. He wore skin tight black leggings with a white collared shirt and a green apron. He had a round face and serious eyes, as well as silk black hair pinned up in a clip. The instant his grey eyes found Erwin’s winter blue’s, the man stilled. His eyes widened slightly.

Erwin breath caught as the whole world stopped turning. There was this old ache flooding his chest, and he didn’t know why. For some reason he felt like crying, but he didn’t. Least he completely embarrass himself.

The man looked away breaking their eye contact. Time started again. There was something almost embarrassed in the stranger’s own passive expression.

“Is there something I can help you with, Sir?”

It hurt. The sound of his voice actually hurt. It was harsh and soft at the same time. It almost sounded pained to be speaking, like he would rather remain silent.

Erwin stumbled for a second, something he almost never did, and then cleared his throat. “I- I saw the flowers in your window.”

His words struggled off his tongue and as they did they sounded more like an excuse than an explanation.

He paused. “The hyacinths?”

Erwin’s eyes refused to look away. “Yes.”

The raven haired man walked passed him wearing a mask of disinterest, but Erwin could tell that it was in fact a mask.  It was a mask he frequently wore himself. What he was hiding behind it, however, was much harder to discern. Erwin would have to pay very close attention.

The man lifted the flowers from the window and offered them to Erwin who gently accepted them.

“These are very lovely.”

The man’s face remained flat. “They’re flowers.” He said in a sarcastic tone.

It made Erwin smile. Perhaps such a crass attitude wasn’t a good thing to have when managing a small shop, but there was something Erwin found quite endearing about this stranger’s demeanor.

“Do you grow them yourself?” Erwin asked without missing a beat.

“Yeah.”

Erwin gestured around the room at the bright emerald leaves, tangled vines, and the vibrant color of petals. “Are you responsible for most of this then?”

He shrugged. “Mostly.”

“I see…” Erwin said looking back into silver eyes. Eyes he swears he knew, but doesn’t remember seeing before. This man was smaller than he was by at least a foot. Erwin had to look down to meet his gaze with how close they were standing. But the height felt normal, like Erwin had tilted his chin this same way a thousand times, and would a thousand times again.

 “Are you gonna buy something or not?”

The words expressed a disinterest in small talk, but his eyes told a different story.

It felt natural to read it, and to understand this strange man’s subtle gestures. The sharp gleam in his eyes hidden behind annoyance and passiveness, the slight tilt of his head, and narrowed brows. It was… mesmerizing.

“I think I will.” Erwin said a bit absently.

Silver eyes lingered on him for a moment before turning away leading Erwin to the front counter. Once he rounded the marble counter, Erwin noticed he was wearing a name tag: Levi. The name sung out in his mind, a strong sense of familiarity washed over him. As if he’d heard that name before. It was like a memory from a forgotten dream chiming out in his mind.

“Oi, Blondie. You gonna pay or not?”

Erwin startled. He hadn’t been paying attention. He’d been staring silently at Levi. “Oh! Yes, sorry!”

As Erwin fumbled for his wallet, he distinctly felt eyes watching him. It didn’t feel intruding however, but rather like… someone was searching him, studying him. Erwin lifted his gaze to see Levi staring at him with an odd expression on his face, like he was trying to understand something just the same.

Erwin offered his card and waited at Levi rang up his order.

“You have unusual tastes.” Levi muttered.

Erwin hummed in agreement, not at all bothered by Levi’s flat tone. “Yes well, something about them felt… nostalgic perhaps.”

“You from Greece?”

“Oh not at all, more like…” Erwin racked his mind for an explanation but came up empty. “I can’t quite place it.”

Levi raised his brows. “You’re weird.”

Levi prepared the flowers and finishes ringing up his order. Then goes to hand Erwin his card. For the briefest of moments, their hands touched. Levi tensed and pulled away, but Erwin could only stare. At Levi’s hand and then down at his own. It was only a touch, but it felt familiar somehow. He ran his fingers along where they touched, and Erwin’s heart fluttered for a moment in his chest.

“Levi.” Erwin murmured. The name came unbidden from his lips. He doesn’t know why he said it. It was too intimate, too soft, and completely inappropriate.

“What?”

“Uh…Nothing. Never mind.” Erwin shook his head not understanding what just happened. The tone he spoke, he didn’t recognize it, but he did. It was the oddest feeling. Erwin picked up his plant and turned, retreating from this awkward situation he’d surely created.

“Why-…”

Erwin turned back, and Levi was looking at him with the most peculiar expression.

“What?” Erwin asked.

“What you said.” Levi said slowly. “Why did you say it like that?”

Erwin paused. He doesn’t know. Foreign and forgotten familiarity tingled beneath his skin. He’d said his name before. He’d meet this man before, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember where.

“I’m not sure myself.” Erwin admitted. To hell with sounding crazy.

Schools, classmates, camps, coworkers. A million faces flashed in his mind but none of them Levi’s. He’s sure he’s never met him before. He’d remember that blank stare, those furrowed brows that pale skin, and raven hair. Surprisingly, Erwin found, every single feature was already cemented into his mind. It didn’t feel like he was looking at him for the first time, but instead the first time in a long time. The way you would look at a childhood friend after years apart.

He expected Levi give him a funny look, or tell him he was crazy, but Levi did neither. He just looked back at him, like he was trying to figure something out.

He was probably trying to understand the crazy man that entered his store.

They stood there awkwardly, until Erwin cleared his throat. He offered them a way out before making his escape. “Sorry, I seem to have upset you. That wasn’t my intention.” He raised the lovely blue flowers that now vased neatly with a red bow tied around it for decoration. “Thank you for the flowers.”

Levi still didn’t say anything, but something in his eyes wavered. It looked sad.

Erwin took it as his que to get out of the store and turned heel without saying any more. Erwin opened the door a soft jingle rang out. It struck something deep inside him. Something was screaming for him to stay. A primal instinct deep down. A gut feeling that knew something he didn’t.

Erwin’s hand lingered on the handle. Part of him tried willing himself to move, to push passed whatever this was, but the next instant he surrendered to the feeling allowing it to wash over him.

“Excuse me.” Erwin took a breath, and turns around to look at Levi, daring to be bold. “I’m sorry but… do I… Have I met you somewhere before?”

Levi’s eyes brighten at his words. The sight sends an loving ache through Erwin’s heart. For a heavy moment, Levi watches him with an awe struck expression. His parted lips shift into a soft smile. It tells Erwin that this sense of familiarity wasn’t something that he was alone in feeling.

“I thought so too.” Levi says.

**Author's Note:**

> The setting is mainly because another character (Kaidan Alenko) that I love from a different series lives in Vancouver, so that was the inspiration there. You also start off ME3 there, and I just loved it. I like Erwin as a teacher for a career in a better world and Levi can always work as a lot of different things. A botanist a favorite of mine though ^^ someone who works in culinary arts would also be perfect too.
> 
> Anyway, Cloud Atlas and Your Name kinda had me in this reincarnation, and searching for your forgotten lover type of mood, so here this is. I liked that in both stories characters don't necessarily remember their past lives, but they remember feelings. The memory fades, but the love is still there, and I've always found that to just be so sweet.
> 
> Levi getting emotional from the flowers is kinda inspired by my interpretation that Levi is the one that left flowers next to Erwin’s body. Levi almost hears it as a “Thank you for leaving me the flowers” kinda thing. Also the ‘Thank You’ Erwin gives him also strikes a familiar cord.
> 
> I could of made the flowers Bluebells, like in Shiganshina and the show, but I really like Hyacinths and the blue ones are very similar in shade to the Bluebells. Hyacinths are also associated with a tragic gay love story in Greek mythology, that also shattered my heart, so I just really wanted to have them here. If you don’t know the story please go look it up (Hyacinthus and Apollo)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you thought. <3


End file.
